At some point in your life you may find that you do not know where to go for medical assistance or who to even ask. Or perhaps you may not know where to obtain your medications at the lowest cost. We are here to help navigate you through our health care system so that you see the right provider, at the right time, in the best atmosphere for you to stay healthy. These navigation services are offered at no cost to you.

What are Community Health Navigators?

Community Health nurse navigators are specialty trained registered nurses here to help navigate patients through the healthcare system to ensure they are able to receive the appropriate community resources after being discharged home. They are “problem solvers” to help you remain well in the community. Navigators provide personalized guidance as you move through the healthcare system. Their role is to support your independence and provide you education information that enhances your ability to make appropriate health care choices for you. With the help of a community nurse navigator you will learn about health risks, treatment benefits and responsibilities in your health care.

Services offered by Community Nurse Navigators include:

Education information on various health topics

Assistance with medications and obtaining them at the lowest cost possible

Assistance with scheduling follow-up appointments with your providers

Navigation to the best entry into the healthcare system (clinic, doctor’s office, etc.)

Assistance with resources in the community such as meal delivery, faith-based counseling, utility payments

Ideas on how to communicate with your health care professionals so that you share responsibility in your plan of care

Assistance with completing paperwork for assistance programs

Goals:

Our goal as community nurse navigators is to make quality healthcare more affordable and more accessible to our community. We strive to provide advocacy, education, and support to help individuals make informed decisions and gain self-management skills in the community setting. Ultimately, we know you are most comfortable at home, so we want to promote health and wellness in the community to avoid unnecessary hospitalizations.

Unfortunately, we are not able to offer the following services:

The community nurse navigators are unable to provide assessments, diagnoses or treatments. They do not order care, treatments or any medications. They are not able to provide direct care, therapy or offer opinions about any aspect of healthcare delivered or recommendations about physicians or organizations. However, they can connect with you with the appropriate resources you may need in the community to address any of these needs.

Contact us for more information:

Lindsey Chavez,BSN, RN

Community Nurse Navigator
lchavez1@echd.org432-640-2632

Mallori Martin,
BSN, RN

Community Nurse Navigator
mmartin1@echd.org432-640-2631

Diana Ruiz,DNP, RN-BC, CWOCN, NE

​Director Population & Community Health
dhuerta@echd.org432-640-2383

Angie Herrington,
BSN, RN

Faith & Health Nurse Navigator
herrington@echd.org432-640-2639

Sharon Burns,RN, CMSRN

Community Nurse Navigator
sburns@echd.org432-640-2634

Medical Center Health System

Medical Center Health System is proud to be the most comprehensive healthcare provider in the Permian Basin. Founded over 65 years ago, we’ve grown from one facility into a family of healthcare providers delivering a broad range of advanced medical services to the people of Odessa and surrounding 17 counties.